Cincy Jungle - NFL Week 10: Cincinnati Bengals at Tennessee Titans 2017Who Deyhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48495/cincyjungle_fave.png2017-11-17T10:00:04-05:00http://www.cincyjungle.com/rss/stream/163913572017-11-17T10:00:04-05:002017-11-17T10:00:04-05:00The Orange and Black Insider: Rocky foundations for Bengals
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<p>On this week's episode, Anthony Cosenza talks about all of the issues that have stemmed from the Bengals' loss to the Titans, as well as the upcoming game against the Broncos. We also answered a number of listener questions and comments this week, so download the episode now!</p> <p id="vclmDD">Cincinnati’s playoff hopes are hanging on by a very thin thread, as the team travels to Denver to take on the <a href="https://www.milehighreport.com/">Broncos</a>. The Bengals hasn’t fared well against the Mile High horses in the <span>Marvin Lewis</span> era, but a win here could sneak them back into the AFC playoff picture. </p>
<p id="hIiJMo">Meanwhile, as the <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a> prep for this week’s contest, there are a number of tumultuous happenings surrounding the club. <span>Vontaze Burfict</span> was ejected from last week’s game, with some feeling as if he is being <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/11/14/16649994/bengals-player-says-nfl-refs-provoking-vontaze-burfict">unfairly targeted by NFL officials</a>. <span>Jeremy Hill</span> went to Injured Reserve to have ankle surgery, while <span>John Ross</span> continues to see very limited snaps. </p>
<p id="K2EK6o">Clouding those issues is the lack of public support Lewis has shown those particular players. The stress from losing has taken its toll on everyone in that locker room, particularly Lewis, and he appears to be taking it out on some of his favorite whipping boys. </p>
<p id="swoG7K">On this week’s Orange and Black Insider, we recapped the above-mentioned issues that are making headlines. We also look at the team’s third loss in four games, as well as what’s ahead against the Broncos in Week 11 and answer listener questions. </p>
<p id="T4p3PS">You can join us live every episode to have yours answered on air here at Cincy Jungle or on YouTube, where you can also mingle with other Bengals fans. Hope to see you there!</p>
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https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/11/17/16666984/the-orange-and-black-insider-rocky-foundations-bengalsAnthony Cosenza2017-11-16T09:00:04-05:002017-11-16T09:00:04-05:00Film room: The defense is struggling because the offense is struggling. But really...
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<figcaption>Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Bengals’ head coach found a scapegoat for his anemic offense and threw his defense under the bus. While they could’ve played better against the Titans, they ended the game gassed.</p> <p id="tZszvI">The <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a> lost badly the battle for possession again last Sunday in Nashville, just like what happened the previous week in Jacksonville. In both games, Cincinnati only had the ball for 19 minutes, and only gained 23 first downs total. But somehow, according to their head coach <span>Marvin Lewis</span>, it’s the defense that’s let them down, not their next-to-worst in the league offense.</p>
<p id="id3R2U">Cincinnati gave up 424 yards to the <a href="https://www.musiccitymiracles.com/">Titans</a> one week after surrendering more than 400 yards to the <a href="https://www.bigcatcountry.com/">Jaguars</a>, two squads that match up well with the Bengals’ defensive scheme. While that’s far from ideal, context matters.</p>
<p id="B1jrZq">After a poor first half in which the Bengals fell behind 17-14, their defense stepped up in a big way - and without linebacker <span>Vontaze Burfict</span> - and only gave up 81 yards before Tennessee got the ball back for their game-winning drive. For their troubles, the Bengals’ offense only mustered 24 yards before their two-play touchdown-scoring drive, accounting only for 7:47 minutes of possession, effectively allowing little-to-no rest for their defense.</p>
<aside id="IEA7XG"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Bengals \"Fire Marvin\" t-shirts","url":"https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/10/25/16547426/bengals-fire-marvin-lewis-tshirts"},{"title":"6 reasons why the Bengals are 3-6","url":"https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/11/15/16648346/6-reasons-why-bengals-3-6"},{"title":"Marvin Lewis blames Bengals’ defense for time of possession issue & 4 more press conference takeaways","url":"https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/11/15/16649514/marvin-lewis-blames-defense-takeaways-bengals-head-coach"}]}'></div></aside><p id="ntJaav">That’s been a problem for Paul Guenther’s unit week in week out when they’ve faced a team other than the <a href="https://www.dawgsbynature.com/">Browns</a>, as we saw in their games against the <a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Steelers</a>, <a href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/">Colts</a> or Jaguars before. <span>Andy Dalton</span> and company produce so little in the second half, that opposing teams can keep pounding the rock against a tired defense that’s not exactly designed to stop the run. If those teams are effective rushing the ball, like Pittsburgh, Jacksonville or Tennessee, it’s even harder for the Bengals to get the ball back. But even when they create turnovers, their offense just doesn’t get them much, unless that turnover actually score six points like <span>Carlos Dunlap</span> did to beat Indianapolis.</p>
<p id="xd95K0">Even with all those issues, the Bengals still had a chance to come back home from Nashville with a win, after Dalton connected with <span>A.J. Green</span> on a catch-and-run throw that the superstar wide receiver took all the way for 70 yards and a touchdown. Cincinnati took the lead in just 41 seconds, and the Titans got the ball with more than five minutes remaining only needing a field goal to tie up the score.</p>
<p id="oTqzQa">We’ve talked a lot this season about how the Bengals’ defensive scheme is designed to not take risks, even if that means fewer opportunities for turnovers. They play it safe, and turn their secondary into tacklers, including their cornerbacks. They trust their front four to bring pressure and either get the sack or force an error by the quarterback. It’s the classic bend-don’t-break mentality that served them well when they had a top-ranked offense. So there’s nothing new in what happened Sunday against the Titans.</p>
<p id="vmH1oE">Let’s go back to the touchdown play by Tennessee that sealed the deal for the home team. It’s a clear and plain cover 4 defense, and its goal is to prevent a completion in the end zone. <span>Carl Lawson</span>, rushing the passer from the right side almost got <span>Marcus Mariota</span>, who instead of risking a pick with plenty of time left and only needing a field goal, went to his checkdown receiver, running back <span>DeMarco Murray</span>.</p>
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<p id="kvXVJ7">Lewis said Murray should’ve never been able to score on a play like that, and while I agree with him, the main problem with the kind of defense they run is they’re one broken or missed tackle away from giving up the first down - in this case the touchdown. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Check down to running back shouldn’t score, Marv says</p>— Geoff Hobson (@GeoffHobsonCin) <a href="https://twitter.com/GeoffHobsonCin/status/929824359916584960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2017</a>
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<p id="tlrivu"><a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/11/8/16621804/bengals-defense-takes-another-step-back-in-loss-to-jacksonville">As I said last week</a>, when I analyzed what happened to the defense against the Jaguars:</p>
<blockquote><p id="SRyXmc"><em>Paul Guenther’s unit has a few flaws, as we’d discussed in previous weeks after their loss in Pittsburgh and their one-point win at home against the </em><a href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/"><em><strong>Colts</strong></em></a><em>. They can’t stop the run and they’re built to protect a lead, playing it safe and allowing a lot of small amounts of yards underneath. That of course can cause you some pain, as you’re usually one broken tackle from giving up a first down, but it’s easier to fathom when you’re winning and it prevents you from risking a big play on a deep pass</em><em>.</em></p></blockquote>
<p id="9txnA5">This time it was cornerback <span>Darqueze Dennard</span> who missed the tackle, allowing Murray to hit paydirt. The Bengals should have been able to stop the Titans from scoring. They held their own for the most part in the second half, despite not getting much help from their offense. That is why context matters. The unit is clearly wearing down because of their limitations to play from behind and the inability of their offense to keep the football and gain first downs to extend drives.</p>
<p id="rs7sI3">That is why Murray’s touchdown catch is a microcosm of the Bengals’ 2017 season. All their flaws were exposed, from an anemic offense that can give their defense rest, to a defense that can’t stop the run because they lack the personnel and are gassed from spending so much time on the field. There’s also the issue of a coaching staff that’s unable to adjust to a new reality: a team held down by a lack of identity on offense and serious issues at their offensive line and quarterback positions.</p>
<p id="qx7lpi">Lewis can throw Guenther’s guys under the bus as much as he wants to save his own butt for his team-building mistakes, but the reality is there’s nothing surprising about this defense. They’re what they are, and they’ve held their own for the most part. They’re not the main reason why the Bengals only had the ball for a quarter of the game for the past two weeks.</p>
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https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/11/16/16653556/marvin-lewis-wrong-defense-not-reason-bengals-strugglingmuertedeatenas2017-11-15T18:00:02-05:002017-11-15T18:00:02-05:00Film room: Offense inconsistent in loss to Titans
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<figcaption>Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Bengals’ offensive unit had highs and lows against the Titans. We take to the film to analyze what went right—and wrong.</p> <p id="4lsAkk">The good news about last week was the Bengals’ offense looked much better than it did against the <a href="https://www.bigcatcountry.com/">Jaguars</a> the week prior. The team was able to be more effective running the football and had some big plays in the passing game. The bad news is that there are still too many mistakes and inconsistencies for this to be a winning football team. While it was nice to see some nice burst plays for quick touchdowns, the inability to sustain drives and let the defense rest is what ultimately led to the <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals’</a> demise.</p>
<p id="bO97x6">The Bengals offense held the ball for just under 20 minutes on Sunday. The defense was on the field for an astounding 84 plays compared to the offense’s 50. So it’s no wonder the Bengals defense wasn’t able to hold the <a href="https://www.musiccitymiracles.com/">Titans</a> on what would be their game winning drive: they were completely gassed. No amount of conditioning can prepare you to play 84 snaps. So you’re either leaving talented players on the field sucking wind, or you’re taking your best players out for rest and putting lesser talent out to compensate. Cincinnati’s 10 percent third down conversion rate and 12 total penalties were big players in this result as well.</p>
<h3 id="CVb9PN">Big plays are nice</h3>
<p id="9CR532">To reiterate what I brought up earlier, it was definitely refreshing to see some nice chunk yardage plays from the receivers - <span>Brandon LaFell</span> and <span>A.J. Green</span> in particular.</p>
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<p id="UfqeOY">Green runs a nice post route but really the majority of this is him just being able to evade defenders. It’s a good throw by Dalton too, don’t get me wrong, but had this ball been thrown to LaFell or <span>Tyler Boyd</span> there’s zero yards after the catch happening. This has got to be a season that’s weighing heavily on <span>Green</span>, so it’s nice for him to still be able to produce. At least my fantasy team thinks so. Full disclosure, I started <span>Marcus Mariota</span> and <span>DeMarco Murray</span> too. I have no regrets.</p>
<aside id="wU2qCY"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Week 10 Bengals rookie report: Brandon Wilson, Josh Tupou debut; John Ross limited","url":"https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/11/15/16642536/week-10-rookie-report-brandon-wilson-josh-tupou-john-ross"},{"title":"Bengals Weekly Lineman: Andre Smith’s first complete game back at right tackle","url":"https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/11/15/16653372/bengals-weekly-lineman-andre-smiths-right-tackle"}]}'></div></aside><p id="OzjnOs">I’m not completely throwing LaFell under the bus with my previous comments though, the guy came to play this week. And although he doesn’t have the insane athleticism of someone like Green, he still runs nice routes and can be designed to get open.</p>
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<p id="0wwxfz">Where the Green touchdown was pure athleticism, this was all scheme. Green on the bottom of the screen runs an inside release fly route to draw the safety, with <span>Tyler Kroft</span> running the corner route to occupy the other safety. This leaves LaFell in the slot able to break the deep middle weak spot in the Cover 2 for an easy score. Great play call.</p>
<h3 id="sdQ3CG">...But sustained plays are nicer</h3>
<p id="1BXgUu">While it’s nice to have that “capable of scoring at any moment” aspect as an offense, it’s much more important to be able to chew clock and build those long 10+ play drives. This offense can’t do that. Whether it’s missing assignments, giving up sacks, or throwing bad balls, the 2017 Bengals can’t establish a rhythm. Take a look at a pretty clear comparison of present to past.</p>
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<p id="SbaTur">This is the Bengals’ counter trey play. They run it out of a few different looks, but the team really loves this play. Both weak side linemen pull across the formation, with the guard kicking out the end, and the tackle leading through. This is actually blocked really well by everyone except <span>Cedric Ogbuehi</span> who never turns up field and lets <span>Joe Mixon</span> run straight into a defender. This is the difference between an eight yard gain and a 30 yard gain.</p>
<p id="FKtf22">Compare that to Jeremy Hill’s rookie season in 2014 when the Bengals run the exact same play against the <a href="https://www.milehighreport.com/">Denver Broncos</a> for much more success.</p>
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<p id="bdI6kN">And yes, I realize this play isn’t even blocked as cleanly on the interior as the one with Mixon, but some teams are capable of running the ball and some aren’t. The 2014 Bengals were, and it’s extremely clear the same cannot be said of the 2017 team.</p>
<p id="uvzcFY">The Bengals clearly need to move on from the disaster that is <span>Cedric Ogbuehi</span> in 2018. But with the team on the verge of a new coach and currently in position for a top five draft pick, you have to wonder if the team might take a chance on a franchise quarterback. Andy Dalton’s contract is very trade friendly and there would certainly be teams interested. Plus, there’ll be plenty of chances for the Bengals to use their other picks on offensive linemen. I can’t think of many linemen (besides <span>Chaz Green</span>) who would do a worse job in pass protection than this:</p>
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<p id="Xo7atO">Just something to consider as the year winds down, folks. You don’t always get a shot at a top QB. </p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/11/15/16653340/bengals-film-room-offense-inconsistent-in-week-10-loss-to-titansBraden Whited2017-11-15T13:30:00-05:002017-11-15T13:30:00-05:00Marvin Lewis calls out John Ross after slamming Jeremy Hill earlier in week
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<figcaption>Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Days after throwing Jeremy Hill under the bus, Marvin Lewis is now taking aim at his top-10 rookie draft pick. </p> <p id="xKW1Ta"><span>Marvin Lewis</span> continues to throw his players under the bus in the midst of a 3-6 season.</p>
<p id="lHl9e3">The embattled <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a> head coach knows his time in Cincinnati is coming to an end, so he’s making sure to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTOKJTRHMdw">let everyone know his feelings on the way out</a>. </p>
<p id="FjLT4S">Earlier this week, it was <span>Jeremy Hill</span> who Lewis <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/11/13/16645806/marvin-lewis-calls-out-jeremy-hill-for-choosing-to-undergo-season-ending-surgery">went out of his way to criticize</a> and throw under the bus. </p>
<p id="LwcqgB">Now, it’s rookie wide receiver <span>John Ross</span> who Lewis is going after. </p>
<aside id="OiF9Zr"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Bengals \"Fire Marvin\" t-shirts","url":"https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/10/25/16547426/bengals-fire-marvin-lewis-tshirts"},{"title":"Week 10 Bengals rookie report: Brandon Wilson, Josh Tupou debut; John Ross limited","url":"https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/11/15/16642536/week-10-rookie-report-brandon-wilson-josh-tupou-john-ross"}]}'></div></aside><p id="ZD6JAQ">On Wednesday, Lewis made reference to a play in which <span>Andy Dalton</span> took a deep shot to Ross, who stopped running and then couldn’t speed up quickly enough to get to the ball. It seemed Ross was confused, as inexperienced rookies often are.</p>
<p id="Gipa7u">Lewis thought Ross should have caught the pass had he just kept running, and he’s letting everyone know it. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Marvin Lewis on John Ross: "For Andy to throw him that ball, he expects him to make that play. He let us down. Let the QB down. Had he been running, he catches it." <a href="https://twitter.com/FOX19?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FOX19</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bengals?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bengals</a></p>— Jeremy Rauch (@FOX19Jeremy) <a href="https://twitter.com/FOX19Jeremy/status/930845100661465088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2017</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Marvin Lewis on John Ross: "He had a play last week we weren't very thrilled with ... For Andy against that coverage to throw him that football he should understand how the QB feels about him. He expects him to be where he needs to be. He let his teammates down. He let me down."</p>— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) <a href="https://twitter.com/pauldehnerjr/status/930848601416355846?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2017</a>
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<p id="QRoqoz">“He should understand how the QB feels about him,” Lewis said of Ross. “He (Dalton) expects him (Ross) to be where he needs to be. He let his teammates down. He let me down.”</p>
<p id="D9Y8Y7">So, Lewis is acknowledging that he’s “let down” by the Bengals’ rookie receiver. This feels like a different type of comment than we’ve seen from Lewis in past years and even past months when he’s been super conservative in publicly voicing his displeasure with specific players or even position groups.</p>
<p id="NBOheY">Dalton also commented on the play following the Bengals’ loss to the <a href="https://www.musiccitymiracles.com/">Titans</a>, but wasn’t nearly as harsh as Lewis.</p>
<p id="S10lXi">“He had one-on-one and I was trying to give him a chance. It’s something that he will learn from,” Dalton said.</p>
<p id="f8aNJt">Ross acknowledged the play not succeeding was his fault.</p>
<p id="kHOoL4">“It was all my fault,” the rookie said. “I kind of messed up what I had to do. I think it’s a slim chance you’re supposed to do something like that. That was all my fault. It had nothing to do with Andy. I thought it was a great ball. I got to listen to what I was told and just continue to do it right.”</p>
<p id="k7Ot2i">Lewis knows his seat is hot and his coaching tenure is nearing the end in Cincinnati, so why would he draft a player whose injury prone? That seems to be part of the reason why Ross has seen so little of the field. His NFL high is six snaps in a game.</p>
<aside id="ig3M1S"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"6 reasons why the Bengals are 3-6","url":"http://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/11/15/16648346/6-reasons-why-bengals-3-6"},{"title":"Marvin Lewis blames Bengals’ defense for time of possession issue & 4 more press conference takeaways","url":"http://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/11/15/16649514/marvin-lewis-blames-defense-takeaways-bengals-head-coach"}]}'></div></aside><p id="r49g3Z">I think Lewis’ disinterest in drafting Ross, yet the team still selecting him in Round 1, is why we’ve seen Lewis so reluctant to play a player like Ross who has seen very minimal game time.</p>
<p id="QAqQV5"> At this point, we probably shouldn’t expect to see much of the rookie this year, at least as long as Lewis is running the show. <span>Tyler Boyd</span> may be ready to return from injury this week and it’s possible Ross will be made inactive in Denver as a result.</p>
<p id="ckghk0"><a href="https://youtu.be/Hbw-GZsR_bc">Expect this behavior</a> to keep up for the remainder of the season. Maybe we’ll get lucky and see Lewis finally call out players who actually deserve it, a la <span>Russell Bodine</span>. </p>
<p id="82ArrC">The irony of this is Ross may have very helped Lewis save his job if he were willing to play Ross more throughout the season. Sure, Ross has missed a lot of time and still has plenty of work to do, but there isn’t a written NFL rule that states you must play a player only after so many hours of practice.</p>
<p id="cB1j01">We saw the Bengals use Ross in Week 2 against Houston on a nice end-around that netted 20 yards, but he was stripped from behind and lost the ball. Ross would be benched for the rest of the game in what turned into a 13-9 loss, in which one or two more big plays could have made it a win for the Bengals.</p>
<p id="boOOUg">But Lewis stubbornly wasn’t willing to give Ross that chance, and the Bengals suffered a narrow defeat, which has been a theme this season.</p>
<p id="Rltgu3">It’s almost as if Lewis is ready to be shown the door and is doing his best to make sure it happens. He’s certainly sabotaged himself on several occasions this season. </p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/11/15/16656484/marvin-lewis-john-ross-jeremy-hill-bengals-football-2017Jason Marcum2017-11-15T13:00:00-05:002017-11-15T13:00:00-05:00Weekly Lineman: Andre Smith’s first complete game back at RT
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<img alt="Cincinnati Bengals v Tennessee Titans" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/H8VkuKL2xdFhUADivXJF7_an-kE=/0x0:4038x2692/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57616795/873330426.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Pro Football Focus thought highly of Smith’s performance. Did the film reflect that, too?</p> <p id="FdVyap">673 days before last Sunday was January 9, 2016. That date hurts for most of us for obvious reasons, but besides a certain event that happened in some playoff game between two AFC North rivals, it was Andre Smith’s last full game starting at right tackle for the <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a>. </p>
<p id="SABaaz">Since that date, Smith was signed by the <a href="https://www.dailynorseman.com/">Minnesota Vikings</a> in free agency, played four games at right tackle for Mike Zimmer’s team in the purple and white, and injured his tricep, ending his 2016 season. Earlier this year he signed back with the Bengals to play right guard, lost that battle in training camp to current starter <span>Trey Hopkins</span>, and up until Sunday had been rotating at both tackle spots ever since.</p>
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<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/84qV2fzSiNcH0wIYLL_qVLSE45c=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/9681343/andre.jpg">
<cite>Pro Football Focus</cite>
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<p id="bz80vj">After last week’s lost to the <a href="https://www.bigcatcountry.com/">Jacksonville Jaguars</a>, we learned that starting right tackle <span>Jake Fisher</span> has been dealing with an irregular heart beat, and that game would be his last for the season as he <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/11/14/16653922/jake-fisher-underwent-successful-heart-surgery">underwent a procedure to try to correct it</a>. Smith had been rotating with <span>Fisher</span> to ease his snap count while dealing with this issue, and has even started a game at the position, but prior to Sunday, he hadn’t played 100 percent of an offense’s snaps since Week 3 of last year with the Vikings. That changed Sunday as Smith was <em>the </em>guy on the right edge for the Bengals offensive line. <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1641763&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fprofootballfocus.com&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cincyjungle.com%2F2017%2F11%2F15%2F16653372%2Fbengals-weekly-lineman-andre-smiths-right-tackle" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Pro Football Focus</a> actually graded him as the best tackle in the entire league this week, as seen above. I focused on him this week to see how valid that statement is.</p>
<div id="IVKerG">
<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en">
<p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/bqzUuSGCmn">pic.twitter.com/bqzUuSGCmn</a></p>— not kevin durant (@nevkinturand) <a href="https://twitter.com/nevkinturand/status/930612418664976384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2017</a>
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<p id="jAdSfu">Smith’s main adversary this game was left outside linebacker <span>Derrick Morgan</span>, who for the most part, was aligned at the Wide 9-technique spot. Morgan tried to pull off this inside jab-rip combo nearly all game long. In his first attempt, Morgan begins with stabbing Smith with his inside arm. This negates Smith’s extension on his punch and gives Morgan room to work around the edge. He uses a rip move to swipe away Smith’s outside hand and tries to work the corner. Smith does just enough to run him out of the pocket.</p>
<div id="mDB8wa">
<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en">
<p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/sDsQuvLt3X">pic.twitter.com/sDsQuvLt3X</a></p>— not kevin durant (@nevkinturand) <a href="https://twitter.com/nevkinturand/status/930629571602518016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2017</a>
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<p id="kGJTly">It’s a shame <span>Andy Dalton</span> fumbled this snap not only because it led to a turnover, but because this could’ve been fully recognized as Smith’s best rep of the day. <a href="https://www.musiccitymiracles.com/">Titans</a> defensive tackle <span>Jurrell Casey</span> is lined up at 4-technique, working on the B-gap against right guard Trey Hopkins. Smith takes the initiative to chip Casey and send him to dirt before worrying about Morgan’s delayed rush off the edge. You love to see this in film review.</p>
<div id="HQwWPe">
<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en">
<p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/HTg8UPvv7n">pic.twitter.com/HTg8UPvv7n</a></p>— not kevin durant (@nevkinturand) <a href="https://twitter.com/nevkinturand/status/930636316261470209?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2017</a>
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<p id="ctAcQB">This block from Smith <a href="https://twitter.com/BigWillie7179/status/929790690380468229">got recognition by Bengals legend Willie Anderson</a>. On this outside zone playcall, Smith is asked to reach block the 3-technique on the play, which is Daquan Jones. Notice how Jones never crosses Smith’s face, flowing with the play, and Smith washes him out of running back Joe Mixon’s cutback lane for the touchdown. He finishes the block and buries him to the ground for good measure, though PFF doesn’t give extra credit for that.</p>
<div id="0Gj4IY">
<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en">
<p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/N0GLfI2Axn">pic.twitter.com/N0GLfI2Axn</a></p>— not kevin durant (@nevkinturand) <a href="https://twitter.com/nevkinturand/status/930639117439979520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2017</a>
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<p id="bhhUOk">We see the inside jab followed by an outside counter from Morgan again here. Smith is a little late mirroring Morgan here from that aforementioned Wide-9 alignment. Dalton gets the ball out relatively quickly and Morgan’s win is effectively negated, but this is sloppy work from Smith.</p>
<div id="MFWZdj">
<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en">
<p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/VXR4OqM7QQ">pic.twitter.com/VXR4OqM7QQ</a></p>— not kevin durant (@nevkinturand) <a href="https://twitter.com/nevkinturand/status/930642096180154368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2017</a>
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<p id="yUMmfv">With a little help from Hopkins taking on the 2-technique, Smith finishes Morgan on another reach block on the backside of an outside zone playcall. </p>
<div id="zd36Hw">
<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en">
<p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/uRi0RAmvf4">pic.twitter.com/uRi0RAmvf4</a></p>— not kevin durant (@nevkinturand) <a href="https://twitter.com/nevkinturand/status/930650139059945497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2017</a>
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<p id="8Picb9">For the majority of the game, the Bengals schemed rolling pockets, slide protections and play action/run/pass options to aid their pass protection. This play, the whole right side and <span>Clint Boling</span> slides to the right to open up Dalton’s throwing lane to the left and Morgan beats Smith with the inside-rip combo again, but the throw is made quickly and Smith is saved due to play design.</p>
<div id="ofnhub">
<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en">
<p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/LUX4hKCxSU">pic.twitter.com/LUX4hKCxSU</a></p>— not kevin durant (@nevkinturand) <a href="https://twitter.com/nevkinturand/status/930653820853637120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2017</a>
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<p id="dEnoWt">Morgan kept trying the same move nearly all game, and Smith kept riding him out of the play every time he attempted it. Smith was already in the process of riding out Morgan when he continued to attempt the same rip move. Smith was isolated with the slide protection toward the play side of the play, and just pushed Morgan out of the pocket.</p>
<div id="CfWko5">
<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en">
<p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/yyqxsoVtCY">pic.twitter.com/yyqxsoVtCY</a></p>— not kevin durant (@nevkinturand) <a href="https://twitter.com/nevkinturand/status/930665719401992192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2017</a>
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<p id="kbLxVT">In one of the most critical plays of the game, Smith and Hopkins get twisted on a tackle-end twist performed by Morgan and Orakpo. Smith ends up giving up the c-gap to the stunting Orakpo who records a QB hit on Dalton, which led to an intentional grounding penalty.</p>
<p id="mMtm9b">Overall, Smith had a solid outing against Morgan in both pass protection and run blocking. His 85.9 grade given by PFF is independent to PFF, but that seems like an accurate grade after going through this game twice. Smith got beaten a few times, but looked more than serviceable at right tackle full time for the first time in more than a year. We’ll see if it continues against <span>Von Miller</span> and the <a href="https://www.milehighreport.com/">Denver Broncos</a> this Sunday.</p>
<p id="wrRwrX"> </p>
<p id="ezNVmI"></p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/11/15/16653372/bengals-weekly-lineman-andre-smiths-right-tackleJohn Sheeran2017-11-15T10:00:02-05:002017-11-15T10:00:02-05:004 takeaways from Marvin Lewis’ post-Titans press conference
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<img alt="Cincinnati Bengals v Tennessee Titans" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/rTxT-J82IBPCiRt06uw2jNSVU2s=/0x0:2280x1520/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57605823/873356656.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Marvin Lewis doesn’t buy the report that refs have been provoking Vontaze Burfict. He also manages to throw Jeremy Hill and his defense under the bus in the same press conference.</p> <p id="MgP7uu">The <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a> lost to the <a href="https://www.musiccitymiracles.com/">Titans</a> on Sunday in heart breaking fashion, and on Monday <span>Marvin Lewis</span> addressed the media to talk about what he and the coaches saw on tape as well as other news regarding the team.</p>
<p id="P9rP4f">Here are five takeaways from that press conference.</p>
<h3 id="9ssCjJ">Lewis doesn’t buy refs provoking <span>Vontaze Burfict</span>
</h3>
<p id="ydUI7q">Something I found surprising about the initial report of NFL officials <a href="http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/21401809/vontaze-burfict-being-provoked-officials-according-cincinnati-bengals-teammate">had been provoking Burfict into penalities</a> was this line:</p>
<blockquote><p id="os1dah">Burfict has complained to Bengals coach Marvin Lewis, a member of the league's competition committee, but those complaints have not been brought to the league office, an NFL spokesman said Monday.</p></blockquote>
<p id="zq9Cvj">Here’s what Lewis had to say about it on Monday:</p>
<p id="kCvruE">“The officials have a job to do. I’ve explained this to Vontaze; he understands that. They have a job to do and they are going to separate players if players are in a situation where they (need to be separated). That’s not what this is about, or where the NFL should be. So, get back to the huddle and get going. That’s the most important thing. We don’t need to jaw with anyone after the play — any of the players. That’s important. It would shock me if those things occur. I know on occasions supposedly they have, but again that would shock me.</p>
<p id="yWFUbM">This press conference answer combined with that prior nugget seem to show that Lewis isn’t taking Burfict’s side anymore, which is a bad look for the head coach, in my opinion.</p>
<aside id="PHsVYT"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Bengals \"Fire Marvin\" t-shirts","url":"https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/10/25/16547426/bengals-fire-marvin-lewis-tshirts"},{"title":"Bengals player says NFL refs have been provoking Vontaze Burfict","url":"http://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/11/14/16649994/bengals-player-says-nfl-refs-provoking-vontaze-burfict"},{"title":"Marvin Lewis calls out John Ross after slamming Jeremy Hill earlier in week","url":"http://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/11/15/16656484/marvin-lewis-john-ross-jeremy-hill-bengals-football-2017"}]}'></div></aside><p id="naHFk9">Burfict is many things, but he is also the leader of the Bengals’ defense, and if he or the team feels that the people in charge of the team don’t have their back it doesn’t have a great impact on their play.</p>
<p id="zXBUB2">To Burfict’s credit he didn’t do a whole lot in the situation he got ejected for. Looking at the video, it looked like the scuffle was over, and he was trying to get back on to the field and into his huddle. The ref was trigger happy and ejected him. The league <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/11/13/16643418/vontaze-burfict-not-suspended-nfl-contact-referee">deciding not to suspend Burfict</a> really tell’s the whole story.</p>
<p id="Viot0R">Lewis not defending Burfict tells the whole story there as well.</p>
<h3 id="D3MLHK">Slightly impressed with <span>Andrew Billings</span>; not <span>Josh Tupou</span>
</h3>
<p id="ToR9w1">“It was a really good opportunity for [Billings] to get in there and play. It’s something to keep building upon and grow upon. I think that’s, that was probably the most snaps he’s had, and against that group of offensive players, that’s good.”</p>
<p id="ECURVD">“Have you been evaluating the tape?” Lewis said while laughing when asked about Tupou. “[Tupou’s] got work to do.”</p>
<p id="sVdXa4">This was the first game we really saw Billings in an expanded role, and it should have fans excited. Billings had four tackles including one for a loss. He also got in <span>Marcus Mariota</span>’s face a couple of times. His presence also elevated <span>Geno Atkins</span> as the two combined to be among the most disruptive interior duos in the NFL during Week 10. </p>
<div id="BKW395">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Bengals Geno Atkins & Andrew Billings finished Sunday among <a href="https://twitter.com/PFF?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PFF</a>'s top 10 in pass rushing productivity, applying pressure on 9.3% & 10.0% respectively. Billings was awarded a stop on 14.3% of the 21 run snaps for which he was on the field, tied for 9th this week. (Via <a href="https://twitter.com/PFF?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PFF</a>)</p>— Cincy Jungle (@CincyJungle) <a href="https://twitter.com/CincyJungle/status/929932943216214016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2017</a>
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<p id="nC1d1M">Tupou, however, was signed to the 53-man roster on Saturday, and it really looked like it. He could end up being a valuable depth player, but for now he just needs to get caught up with what is going on. Should the Bengals’ head coach be publicly laughing about a guy on the 53-man roster for one day who was forced into action and played 19 snaps? Probably not.</p>
<h3 id="NGHpup">Surprised by <span>Jeremy Hill</span>’s decision</h3>
<p id="g8p8aZ">“Yeah [I was surprised]. He’s consulted a couple of physicians, both said this is something that could wait until after the season, and he just felt like it was causing too much discomfort.... We’ll address [the running position] as we move forward, now that [Hill’s] situation has been clarified.”</p>
<p id="dU7ox0">This also isn’t a great way to go about keeping the players on your side. <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/11/13/16645806/marvin-lewis-calls-out-jeremy-hill-for-choosing-to-undergo-season-ending-surgery">He just threw Hill under the bus</a>. How does that that look to the rest of the players? Like Lewis will do anything to cover his own behind. Players notice this stuff, and it is a huge hit to morale to think their coach is willing to throw them to the wolves to save himself.</p>
<p id="vsG8oF">With <span>Cedric Peerman</span> and <span>Tra Carson</span> on Injured Reserve, the Bengals ended up signing <span>Brian Hill</span> <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/11/14/16652176/nfl-roster-news-bengals-sign-rb-brian-hill-lb-hardy-nickerson">from the Falcons’ practice squad on Tuesday</a>.</p>
<aside id="ITH89X"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Week 10 Bengals’ snap count distribution vs Titans: Big discrepancy in offensive and defensive snaps","url":"https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/11/13/16643668/nfl-week-10-bengals-snap-count-vs-titans-discrepancy-offensive-defensive"},{"title":"What they’re saying about the Bengals’ loss to the Titans","url":"https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/11/14/16644276/what-saying-about-bengals-loss-to-titans-nfl-week-11"}]}'></div></aside><h3 id="iazYFg">Blames defense for how long they are on the field</h3>
<p id="lpFgpw">The Bengals' offense played 51 snaps on Sunday and the defense played 90. But, Lewis isn’t blaming that on the offense, he’s saying that’s on the defense.</p>
<p id="9Y7REA">“Yes, it does wear you down. But, the only way to get off the field is to either take the ball away or win on third down. That’s the only thing that is controllable. That’s what happens.”</p>
<p id="KfijVR">While this is partially true, most of the time the defense spent on the field was during the second half when the Bengals’ offense didn’t run a single play in Titans territory. Most of the third quarter was three-and-outs and punts for both teams. The defense worked their butts off, but the Titans ran the four-minute drill for almost the entire second half. The defense shot itself in the foot a couple times with penalties, but overall the offense simply couldn’t keep drives going. The fact the head coach would put the blame on the defense who kept the team in the game is... frustrating.</p>
<h3 id="YHjZxR">Third down struggles persist</h3>
<p id="T9zS4N">“It was third-and-three, third-and-four, or third-and-five at three points yesterday, with maybe a third-and-six in there as well. Those are all things that are manageable and that you have to be able to convert. We have to keep looking at how we’re (going about third downs), what we’re doing with them, and how we can convert them better. And also, understand how we’re being defended (on third downs) in each game. (It helps with) the adjustments that need to be made in the play-calling or formations, or whatever we need to do to get us a better opportunity to convert (third downs).”</p>
<p id="tiCXqH">This was one answer that after I read it I just went “duh.” Then it hit me. Have they not been doing this the whole time? Have they not been making adjustments to try and pick up third downs? I mean I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and think they have, but it sure doesn’t seem like it.</p>
<p id="QSwjjt">At least they are looking in the mirror as coaches now and realize they have a huge part in these struggles. I mean converting one of 10 third downs won’t win you many games, and it is also hard to tell a team that if they just play better they’d convert more. When it gets that bad coaches have to ask what they are doing wrong.</p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/11/15/16649514/marvin-lewis-blames-defense-takeaways-bengals-head-coachPatrickJudis2017-11-15T09:00:05-05:002017-11-15T09:00:05-05:006 reasons why the Bengals are 3-6
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<img alt="Cincinnati Bengals v Baltimore Ravens" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/sxcSTLFY6vLGooE-MWVc6Lk5mzY=/0x97:2832x1985/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57606991/187622194.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Andre Smith</figcaption>
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<p>A tired defensive, an offense that refuses to run the ball and more reasons why the Bengals are 3-6 heading into Week 11.</p> <p id="iG1hxw">The <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Cincinnati Bengals</a> are 3-6, having lost three of their last four games. Just about everything you can think of has gone wrong for the Bengals during that time, but most of the players are continuing to play hard. Although the season is over, for all intents and purposes, no one seems to be giving up. </p>
<p id="4aT90D">The latest last-minute loss to the <a href="https://www.musiccitymiracles.com/">Titans</a> really seemed to strike a chord for these Bengals, who hope to put together a string of victories to conclude the season. But, in order to do so, lots of things still have to change. There are many reasons why Cincinnati is in the position it is in, and here are six of them.</p>
<p id="MyZb4Q"><strong>1. Offensive line play.</strong></p>
<p id="0j5rdx">The Bengals finally got a little bit of good news in regards to the offensive line. Against Tennessee, <span>Andre Smith</span> started at right tackle in place of the ailing <span>Jake Fisher</span>, and responded with the best day of any offensive lineman in the league. Pro Football Focus gave Smith an overall grade of 87.6 and noted that he allowed only one pressure on Andy Dalton’s 36 dropbacks.</p>
<p id="JxK8QP">Of course, Smith’s stellar play could do little to hide yet another atrocious performance by left tackle Cedric Ogbuehi. On one occasion, Ogbuehi was badly beaten by former <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/washington-redskins">Washington Redskins</a> linebacker <span>Brian Orakpo</span>, who hit Dalton from behind and caused a fumble that the Titans recovered. Tennessee went on to score a touchdown on that possession.</p>
<p id="rCrPIe">Probably the most telling example of poor line play came during the Bengals’ final play of the game, when Dalton dropped back for a Hail Mary in an attempt to win the game. Tennessee was able to get pressure on Dalton with only a three-man rush, and forced him to throw from his back foot. The ball did not even reach the Titans’ 10-yard line, and was knocked away as time expired.</p>
<p id="xpTf33"><strong>2. Defense is wearing down.</strong></p>
<p id="xhjMoD">Cincinnati’s defense was ranked among the best in the NFL through the first eight weeks of the season. But a sudden inability to stop teams on third down over the past two weeks has changed that. </p>
<p id="kmBoKN">Overall, the Bengals’ defense is currently ranked No. 14, behind Cleveland and Seattle, and is No. 12 in points allowed, surrendering an average of 20.2 points per game. It is the inability of the defense to get off the field that has caused those standings to tumble. Tennessee converted on 7-of-15 third-down opportunities this past Sunday, with Jacksonville going 12-of-18 the week before.</p>
<p id="sjurKG">In its three wins, Cincinnati has allowed its opposition to make good on 19-of-47 third-down opportunities, or just over 40 percent. In its six losses, the Bengals have allowed the opponents to make good on 38-of-88 third downs - just over 43 percent of the time.</p>
<p id="njtVKY">Coming in to the Jacksonville game, Cincinnati was doing a pretty good job on third down. Through the first seven games of the season, teams had converted only 38 of 105 third-down opportunities against the Bengals defense, good for just over 36 percent and well ahead of the current league average of 38.6. </p>
<aside id="8c8jyl"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Bengals \"Fire Marvin\" t-shirts","url":"https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/10/25/16547426/bengals-fire-marvin-lewis-tshirts"},{"title":"5 things I think I know about the Bengals following their loss to the Titans","url":"https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/11/13/16640740/5-things-bengals-loss-titans"}]}'></div></aside><p id="9otTwn"><strong>3. Lack of production on offense.</strong></p>
<p id="Dmviz2">Time of possession is probably the most telling factor in the Bengals’ record to date, and the offense has to shoulder its share of the blame for the huge disparity in that area. It is the inability of the offense to generate first downs that keeps putting the defense back on the field, and sooner or later bad things are going to happen. </p>
<p id="FzjCK7">Cincinnati held the ball for less than 20 minutes in the losses to the <a href="https://www.bigcatcountry.com/">Jaguars</a> and the Titans. Against Jacksonville, the Bengals went 1-for-8 on third down, and went 1-for-10 against Tennessee. In its three wins, Cincinnati has had the ball for an average of 30:44. In its six losses, the Bengals have held the ball for an average of 24:54.</p>
<p id="CUoCoA">In the Bengals’ loss to Tennessee, the Titans held the ball for 40:09 and ran off 84 plays to only 50 for Cincinnati. Even when the Bengals did manage to score, they barely gave the defense a chance to catch its breath. </p>
<p id="h8vNPW">Cincinnati’s first score came on a 37-yard pass from Dalton to <span>Brandon LaFell</span> that consumed 3:12 off of the clock. <span>Joe Mixon</span> scored on a 3-yard run after a <span>Marcus Mariota</span> interception and, and the drive took three seconds. Of course, the interception came after the Bengals had marched 63 yards in six plays, with the biggest chunk of that coming on a 25-yard completion to LaFell. That drive ended with a Dalton fumble, and once again consumed 3:12.</p>
<p id="wdIlQo">Cincinnati scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 70-yard catch and run by <span>A.J. Green</span> to cap a two-play, 82-yard drive that took 41 seconds off the clock. </p>
<p id="Y2fHzr">A clearly exhausted Cincinnati defense was unable to stop the Titans down the stretch, and three defenders whiffed on <span>DeMarco Murray</span> as he dove in the for go-ahead score.</p>
<p id="t3lmQc">Jacksonville dominated time of possession the week before, as well. The Jaguars held the ball for 40:14 and ran off 78 plays to only 37 for the Bengals. Once again, exhaustion was the biggest factor that allowed Jacksonville to put the game out of reach. This time, it was the special teams unit that ran out of steam. <span>Jaydon Mickens</span> took the fifth of seven <span>Kevin Huber</span> punts back for a 63-yard touchdown that sealed Cincinnati’s fate.</p>
<p id="MMalM8"><strong>4. Inability/refusal to run the ball.</strong></p>
<p id="Nu7CdF">A successful running game is the best way to control time of possession, and the Bengals boasted what should have been a great trio of running backs in <span>Jeremy Hill</span>, <span>Giovani Bernard</span> and Joe Mixon. But, thanks primarily to the instability on the offensive line, none of those backs have been able to get much going.</p>
<p id="QqHnpc">Hill, the presumptive starter, has carried the ball 37 times for 116 yards, an average of 3.1 yards per carry. After scoring 29 touchdowns in his first three years in the league, Hill had none this year, and was recently <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/11/11/16637608/bengals-jeremy-hill-ir-michael-koehn-brandon-wilson-josh-tupou-roster">lost for the season with an ankle injury.</a></p>
<p id="CwUwwW">Bernard has rushed 28 times for 113 yards, an average of four yards per carry, and has 17 receptions out of the backfield for 196 yards and two scores. Mixon has been the primary ball carrier for the Bengals, and has stepped into the starting role following the loss of Hill. On 107 carries, Mixon has managed only 321 yards for an average of just three yards per carry. But he does have three touchdowns on the ground and has added 21 catches for 207 yards.</p>
<p id="SeIGnk">As much of a struggle as the running game has been, there have been times where it appeared to be on the verge of breaking out. Against Houston, a game that stayed close from start to finish, Mixon only got nine carries and ran for 36 yards. Against Pittsburgh, he had 48 yards on only seven carries by halftime, and Cincinnati only trailed by a score of 20-14. Yet, for whatever reason, Mixon did not get another carry as the Bengals completely abandoned the running game.</p>
<p id="IP2dSF">And this past Sunday against Tennessee, Mixon had rushed nine times for 37 yards, including a long of 13 yards, with just under 13 minutes remaining in a close 17-13 contest. Inexplicably, he did not touch the ball the rest of the game. </p>
<p id="WbUCgK"><strong>5. No wide receivers outside of Green and LaFell.</strong></p>
<p id="jmwyZv">A.J. Green, despite a three-game stretch where he had only seven receptions for 74 yards and one touchdown, continues to build on his reputation as one of the best receivers in the game. Green is currently No. 6 in the league with 44 receptions for 693 yards and 5 touchdowns.</p>
<p id="K9GUQn">Brandon LaFell has cemented his position as Cincinnati’s No. 2 receiver with 31 catches for 303 yards and a pair of touchdowns. But that is where it has stopped. No one has stepped up to claim the No. 3 receiver spot, so teams only have to worry about containing Green and LaFell, in addition to blossoming tight end <span>Tyler Kroft</span>.</p>
<p id="axYYnm">The remaining five receivers for the Bengals have a grand total of 16 receptions between them. <span>Tyler Boyd</span>, who has been fighting injury, has only six receptions for 43 yards, and <span>Cody Core</span>, who was generating so much excitement in the offseason, has yet to catch a pass.</p>
<p id="7socsN"><span>Alex Erickson</span> has found some small measure of success, but still only has six receptions for 96 yards, and rookie <span>Josh Malone</span> has managed four receptions for 54 yards in the three games for which he has been active. <span>John Ross</span>, the Bengals’ first-round selection and the fastest man ever at the NFL Combine, has barely seen the field and is still looking for his first reception. None of this group of five has a touchdown reception to their credit.</p>
<aside id="Pvruje"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Bengals player says NFL refs have been provoking Vontaze Burfict","url":"https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/11/14/16649994/bengals-player-says-nfl-refs-provoking-vontaze-burfict"},{"title":"It’s time to feature youth and more of what we learned from the Bengals’ loss to the Titans","url":"https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/11/14/16644194/its-time-to-feature-youth-and-more-of-what-we-learned-from-the-bengals-loss-to-the-titans"}]}'></div></aside><p id="LU7Os6"><strong>6. Poor coaching.</strong></p>
<p id="5KICBJ">Here we are heading into the 11<sup>th</sup> week of the season, and for the first time all year <span>Andre Smith</span> plays the entire game at right tackle. Smith responds with the best day of any offensive tackle in the league, per PFF. </p>
<p id="7UNzip">So why did this not happen earlier, instead of a rotation system that did not seem to benefit anyone? It certainly did not Dalton, who had been sacked 24 times entering the Tennessee game. Sunday, he was sacked one time after Ogbuehi forgot to block his man. Can anyone say, “Coach’s Decision?”</p>
<p id="5VqYHZ">Speaking of coach’s decisions, is there any reason why Hill, prior to his injury, started every game, as well as the first drive of the second half? The decision to start him was never based on performance. And it has been a coach’s decision to go away from the run and force Dalton to put the team on his back, even though he was given a line that rarely was able to keep that back clean.</p>
<p id="V44POe">Cincinnati spent a first-round draft pick on Ross, a second-round draft pick on Boyd, a fourth-round draft pick on Malone, and Core was a sixth-round selection. Erickson was an undrafted free agent. It is up to the coaching staff to develop these players. </p>
<p id="j6FLJc">Core is in his second season and going nowhere. Boyd is in his second season and going backward. Malone is finally getting to see some playing time, while Ross is no factor at all. He is not even being used as a decoy. He just rarely plays. Only Erickson seems to be developing, albeit slowly.</p>
<p id="gJZ6h1">And here is a statistic that will make even the staunchest of Bengals’ supporters uncomfortable. Of the nine games the Bengals have played, six opposing teams have scored in the final two minutes of the first half. Tennessee, Indianapolis and Pittsburgh all kicked field goals with no time showing on the clock. Jacksonville added a field goal with 23 seconds left in the half, Houston scored a touchdown with 50 seconds showing and Baltimore got a touchdown with 1:28 left. A seventh team, Buffalo, scored a touchdown with 3:10 remaining before halftime.</p>
<p id="DmrEzU">While Green Bay did not score before the half, it did add a touchdown on the opening possession of the third quarter. Only Cleveland failed to do any damage during that period of time, although it did score a touchdown with less than two minutes left in the game.</p>
<p id="FTngLS">Why is the defense so vulnerable near the end of the first half in nearly every game it plays? Coaching.</p>
<p id="1tj6Eh">And what about the offense? In three of the nine games the Bengals have played, Cincinnati has gone three-and-out on the opening possession of the second half. The Bengals lost two of those three games, to Pittsburgh and Tennessee, respectively. </p>
<p id="p7fzM7">Another time, Cincinnati went four-and-out on its first possession of the second half, and went on to lose to Green Bay in overtime. Twice it went six-and-out on that opening possession, and lost both of those games, as well, to Baltimore and Jacksonville. </p>
<p id="dGsrFk">Three times, the Bengals scored on their opening possessions of the second half, and won two of those games. Cincinnati scored a touchdown against the <a href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/">Colts</a> and a field goal against the <a href="https://www.dawgsbynature.com/">Browns</a>, and added a field goal in a losing effort to the <a href="https://www.battleredblog.com/">Texans</a>.</p>
<p id="smhq02">So why aren’t the Bengals better prepared coming out of halftime? Why do so many of their initial possessions end in punts? Coaching.</p>
<p id="8sPIiV">Finally, although I cannot find any stats that address the subject, I think everyone will agree that there are way too many missed tackles. What’s the reason for that? You guessed it: coaching! I don’t even want to mention the penalties, but I must.</p>
<p id="W58aqQ">Against Tennessee, the Bengals’ defense had three holding penalties on third-and-long situations to help sustain drives and which eventually led to the Titans’ go-ahead score. Of the team’s 12 total penalties, six defensive penalties resulted in first downs on third-down situations.</p>
<p id="rCP2pf">Cincinnati currently stands 23<sup>rd</sup> in the league with an average of 7.4 penalties per game, and has averaged 8.3 penalties per game over the last three games. Last year, the Bengals were one of the two least penalized teams in the league with an average of only 5.5 per game. What is the difference? Coaching.</p>
<div id="Wc5dWR"><div data-anthem-component="poll:757297"></div></div>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/11/15/16648346/6-reasons-why-bengals-3-6John Acree2017-11-15T07:00:02-05:002017-11-15T07:00:02-05:00Bengals rookie report: Brandon Wilson, Josh Tupou debut; John Ross limited
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<img alt="Cincinnati Bengals v Tennessee Titans" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/nUlU5EeoFQszfnsos5Su5saa-Cs=/0x0:4512x3008/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57606733/873320588.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>A couple of practice squad players played in their first career game in the NFL this past Sunday.</p> <p id="9jJyqi">In a down to the wire Cincinnati Bengals defeat to the <a href="https://www.musiccitymiracles.com/">Tennessee Titans</a>, injuries and a surprise roster move led to 11 rookies recording a total of 198 offensive and defensive snaps, both season-highs for the team. How did all of the Bengals rookies play in Nashville? Let’s go through each of them in this week’s rookie report:</p>
<h1 id="YW8ZsS"><span>John Ross</span></h1>
<p id="a0D8Ue">It took 10 weeks, but we finally saw a ball thrown to a running John Ross. The result was less than desirable:</p>
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<p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/utPQZUP1g1">pic.twitter.com/utPQZUP1g1</a></p>— not kevin durant (@nevkinturand) <a href="https://twitter.com/nevkinturand/status/930236205844893701?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2017</a>
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<p id="OKW6E8">At first glance live, no one watching was entirely sure why Ross ended up five yards behind where the pass landed. The <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a> sideline had the best view of what really happened, as seen by the all-22 view. 15 yards downfield from the start of his route, Ross looks back to quarterback <span>Andy Dalton</span> and effectively slows down about two seconds after the ball is already out of Dalton’s hands. Ross can’t accelerate back to full speed to catch up to the pass. </p>
<p id="PXXuFU">One play is one play and not too much can be taken from it. However, this is something that can happen to someone who is, according to his coaches, behind in the system. I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t entirely trust <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/10/13/16469026/marvin-lewis-says-john-ross-a-lot-of-time-lot-practice">Marvin Lewis’ comments about Ross</a> a few weeks back. But this type of miscommunication isn’t excusable. </p>
<p id="SbQysG">With all that said, giving Ross only five other snaps the rest of the game is still not warranted. Limiting his on-field experience can’t be helping him getting back to where he was. Of the three games in which he’s been active, six snaps remains his season high, which was how many he took on Sunday.</p>
<h1 id="Ygxu5v"><span>Joe Mixon</span></h1>
<p id="S52HHR">Last week <span>Jeremy Hill</span> was a surprise inactive due to a sudden ankle injury, which led to Joe Mixon’s first start of the season. This week, Hill was <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/11/11/16637608/bengals-jeremy-hill-ir-michael-koehn-brandon-wilson-josh-tupou-roster">placed on injured reserve</a>, which begins Mixon’s tenure of being the uncontested starting running back in this offense. </p>
<p id="i8dKdJ">Mixon was already the lead back over Hill and <span>Giovani Bernard</span>, but for whatever reason wasn’t the first back on the field. This week he made his second start and after his first four carries that went for a net total of four yards, his five carries over the course of the rest of the game went for 32 yards, including his third touchdown of the year:</p>
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<p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/OB8AdYx5eq">pic.twitter.com/OB8AdYx5eq</a></p>— not kevin durant (@nevkinturand) <a href="https://twitter.com/nevkinturand/status/930245549776953346?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2017</a>
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<p id="nVf9S6">Mixon finished the game with 36 yards and a score on just nine carries to go along with one reception for three yards. Even with <span>Brian Hill</span> <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/11/14/16652176/nfl-roster-news-bengals-sign-rb-brian-hill-lb-hardy-nickerson">just signed onto the roster</a> to fill <em>Jeremy</em> Hill’s vacant roster spot, don’t expect Mixon’s usage to teeter backwards. </p>
<h1 id="3ziPi8">
<span>Jordan Willis</span> and <span>Carl Lawson</span>
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<p id="c2KHQK">Something interesting from these two is that when they were on the field together, they switched sides from where they usually rush from. Willis saw a decent number of his snaps from right defensive end while Lawson saw action at left defensive end for a couple of drives this game. They still saw most of their playing time at their usual spots. </p>
<p id="sEZoAn">Lawson ended up taking over twice as many snaps on defense than Willis saw, and got his fifth and a half sack of the year on quarterback <span>Marcus Mariota</span>:</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en">
<p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/VNMqqw01cE">pic.twitter.com/VNMqqw01cE</a></p>— not kevin durant (@nevkinturand) <a href="https://twitter.com/nevkinturand/status/930256473594253312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2017</a>
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<p id="plxJ0d">With this hustle sack, Lawson increased his lead on both <span>Myles Garrett</span> and <span>T.J. Watt</span> of the <a href="https://www.dawgsbynature.com/">Browns</a> and <a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Steelers</a> respectively for sacks among all rookies, and is on pace to break Carlos Dunlap’s Bengals rookie record of 9.5.</p>
<h1 id="omD2ws"><span>Josh Malone</span></h1>
<p id="wwR8z0">After seeing seven passes thrown his way the last two weeks, Malone was targeted just once in his 30 snaps, which he hauled in for a six yard gain in the first quarter. He’s continued his role as the third receiver in three receiver sets with <span>Tyler Boyd</span> still sidelined with an MCL injury. With Boyd’s health still a question mark going forward, expect nothing to change with Malone’s usage.</p>
<h1 id="p8H5Bm"><span>Ryan Glasgow</span></h1>
<p id="qZxsKu">With Pat Sims going out early last week, Glasgow was forced into a slightly larger role due to the lack of depth at the position. With Sims a known inactive, Glasgow’s usage was normalized again. Though, he did nothing of note against Tennessee’s interior offensive line.</p>
<h1 id="qzwOem">
<span>Jordan Evans</span> </h1>
<p id="WLjeqk">Perhaps the biggest story of Sunday’s game was linebacker Vontaze Burfict’s ejection late in the second quarter (<a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/11/13/16643418/vontaze-burfict-not-suspended-nfl-contact-referee">which he will not be suspended for</a>). This led to Evans getting on the field in with the base defense (three linebackers). He recorded his first tackle on defense right on the line of scrimmage in his second snap of the game:</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en">
<p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/YklDwNTAf2">pic.twitter.com/YklDwNTAf2</a></p>— not kevin durant (@nevkinturand) <a href="https://twitter.com/nevkinturand/status/930263150259208192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2017</a>
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<p id="r69A3M">As always, Evans was among the team leaders in snaps on special teams.</p>
<h1 id="aWZ9xW"><span>Brandon Wilson</span></h1>
<p id="kbkeGM">On the topic of special teams, Wilson was activated for the first time all season to play in his first career game. With starting safety <span>Shawn Williams</span> inactive for the second straight week with a bad hamstring, Wilson was brought up from the practice squad as a reserve. He ended up making the most impressive play on special teams: </p>
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<p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/sFN2rYq2tH">pic.twitter.com/sFN2rYq2tH</a></p>— not kevin durant (@nevkinturand) <a href="https://twitter.com/nevkinturand/status/930265549992595456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2017</a>
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<p id="eySPWw">Not a bad way to make a first impression. </p>
<h1 id="vZl2tp">The UDFAs</h1>
<p id="CNWCUx"><span><strong>Josh Tupou</strong></span><strong> </strong>- Made his career debut off the practice squad, like Wilson. Activated due to Sims’ injury, Tupou played 19 snaps in relief of starting nose tackle <span>Andrew Billings</span> when the defense was in base. </p>
<p id="72pNts"><span><strong>Hardy Nickerson</strong></span><strong> </strong>- Nickerson ended up with two snaps on defense. You know that guy that <span>DeMarco Murray</span> ran through on his first touchdown after shaking off Billings? That was Nickerson:</p>
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<p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/vBiRaNx1Xy">pic.twitter.com/vBiRaNx1Xy</a></p>— not kevin durant (@nevkinturand) <a href="https://twitter.com/nevkinturand/status/930271391659823104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2017</a>
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<p id="pG6e5l"><a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/11/14/16652176/nfl-roster-news-bengals-sign-rb-brian-hill-lb-hardy-nickerson">Nickerson was released</a> Tuesday to make room for the signing of rookie running back Brian Hill.</p>
<p id="IlWUDh"><span><strong>Cethan Carter</strong></span><strong> </strong>-<strong> </strong>First time since Week 2, Carter didn’t see any time on offense. He should be considered the fourth TE/H-B behind <span>Tyler Kroft</span>, <span>C.J. Uzomah</span> and <span>Ryan Hewitt</span>. </p>
<h2 id="CfbSJT">Coming up</h2>
<p id="L1gNYE">Last week I openly expressed interest in seeing Ross and Evans on the field more. One out of two ain’t bad, even though the one was only the case because of an unpredictable event occurring. The further up the Bengals climb in the draft order, the more weeks we need to see of this amount of playing time for the first-year guys. Next week in a winnable game against the <a href="https://www.milehighreport.com/">Denver Broncos</a>, they could be the difference. </p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2017/11/15/16642536/week-10-rookie-report-brandon-wilson-josh-tupou-john-rossJohn Sheeran